Piano-forte action



(No Model.)

A. T. ROUSSEAU. PIANO FORTE ACTION.

No. 445,905. Patented Fb. 3, 1891.

WITHESEES. 1 \/E "T.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUS"E THEOTIIILE ROUSSEAU, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETT PIANO-FORTE ACTION.

SPECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,905, dated February 3, 1891.

Application fiied J'annary 19, 1889. Seria1No. 296,866. (No modal.)

T0 aZZ whom it may c0ncern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTE THEOPHILE ROUSSEAU, of Cambridge, in the connty of Middiesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and nsefn1 Improvemonts in Piano-Forte Actions, of which the foi1owingis a full, olear, and exact description.

This invention relates to means for producing the soft stop in a piano-forte, and to those by which the force of the biow of the pianoforte-action hammer is controiled to produce as soit or as 1ight a biow on the string as desired, and to those that do not affect the touch of the action; and theinvention consists of certain constructions and arrangements of parts, in combination with the hammer of a pianoforte action, by which the force of the blow of the hammer npon the string is controlied and reguiated, ail substantiaily as hereinafter fuily described, reference being had to the aocompanying shoot of drawings, in which the figures represent in side views the por tien of an upright-piano-forte action above the key and as having my invention appiied thereto.

Figure 1 represents the parts in their nor- 1nai positions, and Fig. 2 shows some of the parts in diierent positions to be hereinafter referred to.

in the drawings,A is the jack; 13, the hammer; C, its stem, pivoted by its bntt D [0 the flan go E, securcd to the crossraii 1*, to which is aise secured by the flange G the damper H.

J is the hce1 of the hammer-bntt, K the backcatoh, and L the string, aii constrncted and arranged for operation as nsnai in upright-piano-forte actions and necding no more particniar description herein.

The hammerB has an npwardiy-projccting stem or arm M, and K is a bntton on the end of a screw rod 03 wire a, screwing into a downwardiy-projecting arm Z) of a cross rail or rod P, adapted to turn or rock on pivots in the end nprights (net shown) et the action trame. Tire rail P has an arm (Z, preferabiy at or near one end, which is connected to a pedai of the piano-forte in anysnitabie mannerfor operation thei*eof, and when it is moved upward swings the rail P on its pivots in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1, the arm (Z abatting against the screw-head f et a cross rail or stop Q, ]imiting the npward movement or swing of the rail P, the iength of its movement being regniated by the turning in or out of the screw f. The rail P also has a downwardiy-projecting arm 7L, preferably at or near one end, which abats against a stop m, secnred b v screws )L to the end upright of the action or to any snitabie support to limit the downward swing of the rail, a fiat sprin g 7', secnred to the stop and bearing by its free end against the arm 7z, aiso holding the arm against the stop and acting to retnrn the rail to its normal position When moved therefrom.

The operation of the device is as foliows: *hen desirons of produeing the soft tomes, the rail P is swnng in the direction of the arrow by pressing upward its arm d bythe pedal or otherwise, which brings its button N into the position shown in Fig. 2, and if then the piano-key is operated for the hammer t0 strike the string the proj eoting stem orarm M et the hammer wiil abut or strike against the button just at the time or a little before the hammer strikes the string, or as desired, which stops the hammer from further movement against the string, and conseqnentiy giving a light biow on the string, which blow is rogniated by tnrning in or out the button N. As the force With which the hammer strikes the string can be controiled and regniated by the regnlatingbntton N, With this invention ap p1ied to ail the hammers of the action they can be ail so reguiated that they will strike with equal force, and thns produce an even and regnlar soit tone throughont the instrument.

By this invention the force of the biow of the hammer is regn1ated, as desired, and without aifecting the operation of the other parts of the action, the touch of the action coing preserved at ail times.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination, with a hammer of a pianofort6action, of a stop or abutment adjustabie in itselt and independently of the stops or abntments of the otherhammers and attached to a suitable support, whioh support is constrncted and arranged to move the stop or abutment into position for the hammer to abut against it, for the pnrpose specified.

2. The combination, with a hannner et a 4. The combnation, with the hammer of a piano-forte action, provided with a proj ecting stem 01 mm, of a rail P, adapted to be swung on its pivots by the pedal of the piano-forte and having an :mn b and screW-button N, for

the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing wtnesses.

AUGUSTE THEOPIIILE ROUSSEAU. Wtnesses:

EDWIN W. BROWN, GEORGE. A. ROUSSEAU. 

